Stormwater from Kc to the Sea

stormwater from kc to the sea

A 5-day Workshop for Students in the 4th - 6th Grades teacher’s guide contents

introduction 1

day one : It’s an Event 3 learning objectives 4 background 5 procedure 6 discussion questions 7

day two : Dangerous Travel 13 learning objectives 14 background 15 procedure 16 discussion questions 19

day three : Cleaning up (our) Water Act 21 learning objectives 22 background 23 procedure 26 discussion questions 27

day four : Those Traveling Stormwater Teams 29 learning objectives 30 background 31 procedure 32 discussion questions 33 day five : Walking the Talk 35 learning objectives 36 background 37 procedure 38 discussion questions 39 vocabulary 40

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea introduction

The Water Services Department of Kansas City, Missouri believes good water quality is everybody’s business. The agency is providing this curriculum for students, and ultimately their parents and the community, to become aware of one aspect of our City’s water – the treatment of stormwater. This guide addresses that topic and is aligned with Missouri standards for students in the 4th through 6th grades. Through five interactive and fun days, students will learn how precipitation moves through the watershed and how to measure rainfall amounts; they will learn to demonstrate how water becomes polluted and determine how best management practices (BMPs) improve the quality and quantity of our water; they will also locate current BMPs in their community, design the ideal street, and create a public service announcement, brochure or poster that persuades people to follow BMPs in their treatment of this valuable resource.

This knowledge will eventually be enhanced by a field trip to the Water Services Department at 4800 E. 63rd Street, where students will experience many of the practices put into action.

For more information, call: Terry Leeds 816.513.0528 Bon Marie Gardner 816.513.0354 Mark Govea 816.513.0523

1 day one:

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea It’s an Event! Understanding Kansas City’s rain and its journey to the watershed

Students will understand what the watershed is by quickly and visually “exploring” the slope of the school grounds and figuring out where water goes on the property. Using Kansas City’s annual rainfall of 38.2 inches, they will discover how much water accumulates on impervious surfaces during events. They will judge whether measurements and computation of quantities seem reasonable – but they might be surprised. They will then “follow” the stormwater to the watershed, which will help them compare amounts/measurements.

skills

Mathematics Analytical Geography Inquiry

3 Materials Required • Yardstick or tape measure 50 • Calculators Teaching Time in mins. • Gallon bucket • Topographical map of area

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to: • Relate the type of landform/water body to the process by which it was formed • Compare amounts/measurements • Judge whether measurements and computation of quantities are reasonable • Use quantitative and qualitative data as support for reasonable explanations • Classify major bodies of surface water (e.g., rivers, lakes, oceans, glaciers) as fresh or salt water, flowing or stationary, large or small, solid or liquid, surface or groundwater • Describe and trace the path of water as it cycles through the hydrosphere, geosphere, and atmosphere (i.e., the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff/ groundwater flow) • Explain how major bodies of water are important natural resources for human activity(e.g., food, recreation, habitat, irrigation, solvent, transportation) • Identify physical changes in common objects (e.g., rocks, minerals, wood, water, steel wool, plants) and describe the processes that caused the change (e.g., weathering, erosion, cutting, dissolving)

Vocabulary impervious, surface water, groundwater, aquifer, recharge, volume, runoff, Low Impact Development, stormwater, watershed, erosion, flowing, stationary Background

A watershed is the land area from which water drains into a single body of water, such as a stream, river, or ocean. The two largest watersheds in the United States are the Pacific Ocean Watershed and the Atlantic Ocean Watershed, separated by the Continental Divide within the Rocky Mountains. A watershed can just be the water draining into a puddle in the back yard or a puddle in a parking lot, but small watersheds like this usually drain into larger ones.

For example, when it rains, all of the water from a small watershed may travel to a local creek. That creek will flow into a larger stream, like Brush Creek, which in turn collects water from other creeks to form an even larger one. Brush Creek flows into the Blue River, which then deposits water into the Missouri River. Finally, it ends up in the ocean.*

In the Kansas City region, all runoff eventually drains into the Missouri River, the world’s 15th longest river. The Missouri River watershed drains one-sixth of the water in the United States, from the mountains of western Montana to its connection with the Mississippi River in St. Louis, MO. In downtown Kansas City, Kansas, the Kansas River flows into the Missouri River at Kaw Point. The Kansas River watershed (page 8) is part of the larger Missouri River Watershed and drains about one-third of the state of Kansas.

*Much of the time, all this is happening underground where you can’t even see it. It will be important for students to first realize that slope is important (and it might be slightly hard to see as well).

5 Procedure

Take a brief tour of the school grounds. Have impervious on the pavement. Tell them that in a students look for any general slope of the year, in Kansas with our average 38.2 inches of ground. Have them discuss what they think rainfall, about 213 gallons of water will fall in this generally happens to water when it hits the very spot. various locations of the school grounds. If it’s in planted spaces, and they respond that most Have them imagine how much water it would water will be soaked up, tell them that this be if they poured about 213 gallon jugs of water “infiltration” ends up traveling through the soil right in that spot. Have them “walk off” how very slowly but does come back to the surface many gallons that would be by measuring a of the earth downslope, helping to replenish foot against the bottom of the gallon jug and the water in the nearest body of water, whether then have that person 213 steps away from it’s a stream, lake, pond, wetland, etc. If they the group, preferably going in the direction of aren’t familiar with the water cycle, you may the water shed. Each team should follow the have to include that in this lesson. (See figure water as far (and safely) as possible. Back in the 5) Ask them where the water that falls on the classroom, students use watershed maps to school roof goes. Have them locate downspouts determine where the water flows from their school. and see where that water goes. See if there is a storm drain on or near the property and ask Remind them that thinking about watersheds them what it is for and where it goes. Explain that helps remind us that our actions can impact — storm drains are the solution to water not having for better or for worse — all of the streams and a place to go from impervious parking lots and rivers in our region. That is what we will see with roads so that they don’t flood. At this point the next lesson. introduce them to the terms impervious and pervious. Ask them where they saw examples of each type of surface. The Math Calculate the area in square feet. Then, divide students into pervious and 3’ x 3’ = 9 square feet impervious teams. Have them “stake out” one Convert KC average rainfall (38.2”) to feet: square yard – use chalk on the impervious area; 38 ÷ 12 = 3.16 cubic feet rainfall per year string (that students can stabilize by standing on each corner of it) on the pervious. They Cubic foot of rain = 7.5 gal of water (approx.) will measure a square yard and then take one 7.5 x 3.16 x 9 = 213.3 gallons of water that falls on one square yard per year gallon of water and pour it on the measured surface, the pervious on planted areas and the Discussion Questions

1. What do we mean by water cycle? 2. What is the role of the land on water movement? 3. how did the slope of the surface impact where the water flowed? 4. Is the water around here salt or fresh water? Where do you find salt water? 5. Is the water flowing or stationary? 6. Why is the Missouri River so important to us? 7. What does erosion mean? Do you see any examples of erosion here? 8. What is the difference between pervious and impervious? 9. are there any examples of pervious pavement at our school? 10. Are there some places where the water could be better directed? 11. How many gallons would fall during each rain event on the square yard? 12. What would happen if your area had fluids like oil from cars? 13. If you selected an area with vegetation, what happened to the water when it landed? 14. From which surface would you rather drink the water?

7 Platte County Platte River Fishing River Bear Creek Clay County

Salt Creek Three Mile Creek Rush Creek Five Mile Creek Shoal Creek Dry Creek

Stranger Creek Sibley Creek Fire Prairie Creek Wolf Creek Mill Creek

Leavenworth County Wyandotte County

Turkey Creek

Mill Creek Little Blue River Blue River Kill Creek Jackson County Captain Cedar Creek Creek

FIGURE 1 Kansas City Area Watershed Map This map illustrates the region’s important watersheds. Captain Creek, Kill Creek, Stranger Creek and Cedar Creek are some of the larger streams emptying into the Kansas River. Others, like the Platte River, Fishing Creek and Crooked River flow directly into the Missouri River.

An interactive watershed can be found at: http://www.marc.org/environment/water/know_your_watershed.htm. Students can put in their home or school zip code which will highlight their watershed.

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea Figure 2 Impervious v. Pervious Pavements Photograph on the left shows a section through a typical impervious pavement. The section on the right shows a pervious pavement that is designed to allow percolation or infiltration of stormwater through the surface into the soil below where the water is naturally filtered and pollutants are removed.

Figure 3 Urban Watershed

Downspout

Untreated Runoff

Urban Stream Storm Drain Untreated Sewer System Stormwater Discharge

9 industrial wastewater

street catch basin industrial snow storm water wastewater melt separate storm sewer system control sanitary device wastewater combined sanitary sump sewer system wastewater pump intercept separate sanitary inflow for sewer sewer system infiltration headworks sanitary sewer overflows grease blockage wastewater storm water treatment plant point source

combined sewer erosion overflow bypass CSO related bypass

Figure 4 Urban Wet Weather Flows There are two types of sewer systems in Kansas City. Figure 5 and figures 7 and 8 on page 24-25 display where certain pollutants originate.

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea FIGURE 5 solar energy The Water Cycle Water falls from the sky to the earth in different forms: rain, snow sleet, and hail. condensation Some of the water soaks into the ground and becomes ground water. The rest, even water-vapor transport precipitation if it soaks into the ground, flows into streams, lakes, increased evaporation rivers, and oceans. The runoff sun’s heat changes some of increased water table pollution the water into a gas called water vapor. This process is called evaporation. The vapor rises into the sky and forms a cloud. Clouds are made of trillions of water droplets. The droplets are tiny and light enough to float. When the cloud droplets get cold enough to freeze or very large, they fall out of the cloud and melt on the way down to Earth as rain. If the air is too cold on the way down, the drops of water will stay frozen and fall as sleet, hail, or snow.

11 day two:

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea Dangerous Travel Hitchhiking with

H20 (nonpoint source pollution)

Students will learn to understand the idea of water as a solvent, to understand water pollution from a short demonstration, and then learn about the sources of point and nonpoint pollution through a video, discussion, and a short activity.

skills

Predicting and Estimating Inquiry Analysis

13 Materials Required 50 • Large clear glass jar with lid and another container to hold the liquid when you pour it out. Teaching Time in mins. • Cup of dirt, sand, some kind of oil, a colored liquid cleaning solution of some kind, piece of paper, piece of gum, etc. (When you “clean up,” be sure not to pour the solids down the sink!) • Two boxes, one labeled point source pollution, the other nonpoint source pollution • 4 sets of colored 5 x 5 cards provided; each set labeled with the “Scenarios” on page 15

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to: • Identify water as a solvent that dissolves materials but also can let them float or settle • Distinguish between the components in a mixture/solution • Identify the ways humans affect the erosion and deposition of Earth’s materials (e.g., clearing of land, planting vegetation, paving land, construction of new buildings) • Describe how human needs and activities (e.g., irrigation, damming of rivers, waste management, sources of drinking water) have affected the quantity and quality of major bodies of fresh water • Analyze the ways humans affect the erosion and deposition of soil and rock materials (e.g., clearing of land, planting vegetation, paving land, construction of new buildings, building or removal of dams) • Describe the effect of human activities (e.g., landfills, use of fertilizers and herbicides, farming, septic systems) on the quality of water

Vocabulary Solvent, dissolve, fertilizer, herbicide, septic system, environment, ecosystem, biotic, abiotic, soluble, insoluble, nonpoint pollution Background

Understanding the properties of (rain) water is important for your students so that they realize how we inadvertently pollute our own water sources. Pollution entering a water body can be classified into two categories. Point source pollution enters a stream (river or other body of water) from a well-defined location, such as a pipe leading directly into a creek or river, which is called an outfall pipe. This source can be traced back to its origination, and the producer of the pollution can be notified so that the problem can be corrected.

Nonpoint source pollution is much more difficult to combat because it involves any pollutant that enters the stream by way of surface runoff. The pollutant might originate anywhere in the watershed, near the stream, or miles away. Nonpoint source pollutants are often substances that are not inherently toxic, but if collected in enough concentration, they can be detrimental to the ecosystem. Nitrates, phosphates (both needed for plant growth and key ingredients in fertilizers), and soil sediment are examples of these. Typical nonpoint source pollutants include herbicides and insecticides, oil, grease, and toxic chemicals; sediment from improperly managed construction sites; eroding stream banks; bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, and faulty septic systems. Sediments are the primary source of pollution. They can carry a variety of water-quality contaminants including nutrients, bacteria, metals, organic matter and a variety of potentially toxic organic chemicals. Erosion of surface and stream channel soils has led to increased levels of sediments transported by area streams.

15 Procedure

There are two different, short activities; one is 2: Have students watch at least one of several teacher led and other more student focused. very short videos on YouTube. These are on A DVD is included with the sites below your CD. downloaded. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlbRPrP 1: The first simple demonstration is about water ZjZo&feature=related deals with point and and its properties when various ingredients nonpoint source pollution. Set in Florida, are added to it. A large, clear jar is the best its points are comprehensive and fully option because you can shake it and show your explained. It is 7:45 minutes long and would students the results. Have them first predict be an excellent introduction to the entire topic what will happen when you add liquids (like despite the end focus on Florida. cleaning aids) and solids (like fertilizer and dirt or sand). End with the ‘sediment’ end of • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqNUTl the scale and make sure students understand Y5foQ&feature=related is probably the next why this is important (toxicity of our watershed; best demonstration. About three minutes sediments also prevent light from penetrating long, it deals with stormwater wastes directly water and can settle on streambeds, burying and gives causes and results of pollutants of habitat for insects and fish). all kinds.

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a- After the videos, take two boxes and label x0AJQ5zHQ&NR=1&feature=fvwp includes one “Point Source Pollution” and the other point source and nonpoint source pollution in “Nonpoint Source Pollution.” Take four sets of its text (and misuses affect vs. effect), is 3:47 the 5 x 5 Point/Nonpoint Source cards provided minutes long, has a limited “what you can with the four teams names and following do” section, which students can add to. “scenarios” printed on each set and give one set to each team. After a discussion of pollution • http://www.youtube.com/ where you ask some of the following questions, watch?v=RGCoIQptYCM is about three have students decide which box each card minutes long and focuses on what you can goes in. Go through the answers and see which do to stop water pollution after showing some team has the most correct answers. You may physical results of it. want to time this exercise so students cannot see what color cards are in each pile. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjI7etw5r ME&feature=related is nearly 7 minutes long Conclude with the teams listing what they can from Scripps Institute and would be suitable do to prevent pollution: with the point source for older students who will understand the pollution team writing answers on the board to complexity of pollutants’ effect on a kind of the nonpoint source causes, and vice versa. starfish in San Diego Bay.

17 Point or Nonpoint?

Point or Nonpoint?

A sewage treatment plant Your mom says the sledding overflows during a storm hill used to be much steeper and that big flat place at the bottom was shorter Warm water enters a stream

Team Brush Creek

Team Blue River

Scenarios for the Point/Nonpoint Source cards provided

Point Source Pollution • Loose soil at a construction site • Fishermen have created their own path to the river • A chemical plant has a pipe coming from it and is dumping a liquid into river • Warm water enters a stream from an electric power plant • A sewage treatment plant overflows during a storm • An oil tanker spills oil into the ocean • Acidic water seeps from a coal mine • A big train derails on a bridge and insect spray spills into the creek • Your friend has a septic tank, and there are wet spots in his yard all the time

Nonpoint Source Pollution • Your dad changes your engine oil and pours it into a drain in the garage • A farmer’s field is fertilized • Oil is running off your driveway into the side yard • Weed killer is sprayed on the front lawn • When you walk your dog, you don’t clean up after he poops • You have an outdoor cat that never comes into the house • Oil runs off a parking lot • Your neighbor dumps some old weed killer behind his fence • You throw away some half full paint cans • There’s a car crash on the highway and oil and gas spill onto the road • Manure from a farmer’s field mixes with rainwater and washes into the stream • You see your neighbor fertilizing his yard right before a big rain storm is in the forecast • Your mom says the sledding hill used to be much steeper and that big flat place at the bottom was shorter • You always wash your car in your driveway

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea Discussion Questions

1. Do you have any manholes or storm drains in your neighborhood? 2. have you ever washed your car at home? Where does that water go? 3. Is there water after a storm in puddles somewhere near where you live? Or a large parking lot? Where does that water go after a rainstorm or snow storm? 4. What can people do to reduce nonpoint pollution? 5. Why should we try to reduce nonpoint pollution?

Storm Drain Manhole

Catch Basin

Discharge

FIGURE 6 Nonpoint source pollution gets into water supply

Use the Lake of the Ozarks or Brush Creek as examples. There are some newspaper articles that demonstrate the effects of nonpoint pollution.

19 day three:

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea Cleaning Up (our) Water Acts How do you manage stormwater (Best Management Practices)

Students will study BMPs and play a game (BMP Bingo!) to recognize what improvements or best management practices already exist in their neighborhoods.

skills

Geography (elementary map making) Inquiry Problem Solving

21 Materials Required • Possible topographical map (from Day 2) of school and grounds 50 • BMP Bingo cards Teaching Time in mins. • You may want students to work in teams of two if they: a) live near each other or b) you use the school • Possible prizes to make the game more fun • Walking the school grounds is probably the better option, and you should find a stormwater sewer before you take the students out so you can be sure to point it out to them

Learning Objectives Background

Students will be able to: Managing stormwater runoff is often • Formulate testable questions & hypotheses considered the job of the local government, • Describe the effect of human activities (e.g., a subdivision developer, or possibly a landfills, use of fertilizers and herbicides, homeowners’ association. Certainly, good farming, septic systems) on the quality of planning and implementation by any or all water of these entities is important to a successful • Analyze the ways humans affect the erosion community stormwater management plan. and deposition of soil and rock materials However, it is also important that individual (e.g., clearing of land, planting vegetation, homeowners understand their role in paving land, construction of new buildings, stormwater management and their impact on building or removal of dams) the larger community. • Describe possible solutions to potentially harmful environmental changes within an Recently, more community stormwater plans ecosystem have incorporated the concept of “no net loss” of water from the site. This policy involves keeping and using the rain that falls onto a site much as possible, rather than simply collecting the rain and sending it off site as stormwater discharge. One basic starting point for such a plan is for homeowners to reduce runoff from their individual lots. Many simple yet effective methods can be used to help reduce individual runoff.

Vocabulary alternative pavers, alternative turnaround, bioretention, constructed wetlands, disconnected non- rooftop areas, extended detention, dry swale, dry well, filter strips (grassed), grassy swale, green parking, green roof, infiltration basins, infiltration trenches, native vegetation preservation, open space design, pervious pavement systems, phased construction, rain barrels, rain garden, riparian buffer, sand and organic filters, stormwater planter, topsoil stockpiling, tree establishment, tree preservation, vegetated channel/ swale, wet pond, wet swales, wetlands preservation “We All Live Downstream” somewhere downstream. Excess runoff Before considering some methods, or best can contribute to flooding. Contaminated management practices (BMPs), to reduce runoff can damage water, making it unfit for runoff, it is important to understand why runoff human consumption and wildlife habitat. Both is a concern. No matter where a person lives, situations can be costly to correct. Prevention is they live in a watershed. As your students more effective and efficient. have already seen, a watershed is simply an area of land that drains to a specific point of As land is developed, much of the surface is water, whether it is a lake, stream, river, or paved or roofed, creating more runoff potential. ocean. We’ve talked about local watersheds Usually, storm sewers are used to carry the that eventually drain into the Mississippi River, resulting runoff to nearby waterways. The which also has many other areas that drain into water from developed areas often contains it, covering several states and millions of acres. contaminants. Even on lawns or other open All watersheds are interrelated since smaller areas, water that is not absorbed can run off ones feed into the larger ones that ultimately into the street or parking lot and then into the drain into the ocean. storm sewers.

Activities in the smaller watersheds ultimately Storm sewers are a system of underground impact the larger watersheds. Although too pipes that have surface drains or inlets few of us think about it, our individual actions designed to gather stormwater. Many people affect everyone “downstream” in the watershed. think that storm-sewer water is treated in a And, the fact of the matter is that we all live sewage treatment plant just like water from downstream from someone else. (Ask the sanitary sewers. But in most communities, that students again what watershed they live by.) is not the case. Stormwater usually receives no treatment before entering local waterways. What Is Stormwater Runoff? In Kansas City, during a severe rain or run off Stormwater runoff is the rain and melting snow event, both sewage and stormwater can go that flows off streets, rooftops, lawns, parking directly into the nearest watershed, for instance, lots, open fields, and any other exposed Brush Creek, the Blue River or the Missouri river. area. The runoff carries with it whatever can be dislodged from the various sites, such as While your students probably don’t need to salt, soil, leaves, pesticides, fertilizers, oil, know about our combination system, which gasoline, and any other materials present on is over 100 years old and used in many cities the surface. These materials are washed off a in the country, it obviously creates some wide geographic area rather than originating problems during heavy water events. Some from one point. That makes preventing communities are incorporating more natural contamination more important as well as more drainage systems and increased on-site water difficult, especially in Kansas City due to its infiltration to help reduce the quantity of runoff combination storm/sewer system. and improve its quality. Also, the increased use of conservation design for housing Stormwater runoff can affect the quantity developments helps reduce stormwater runoff and quality of water that must be handled by incorporating more open space.

23 Dry Weather

domestic, commercial and industrial sewage

outfall pipe to river sewer to treatment plant dam

Figures 7 & 8: It works like this in Kansas City!

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea Wet Weather

downspout

storm drain

mixed sewage and stormwater outfall pipe to river

sewer to treatment plant

25 Procedure

BMP Bingo! can be done as a school group outside the classroom, or individual students can “survey” the property around their homes, depending on location and safety or if they walk to school. Have students draw a map of the chosen area (if they choose their home) or give them a map of their school and grounds. Using the BMP Bingo cards, have students cross off an improvement they see and locate it properly on their map. The Bingo doesn’t count if they have not drawn it on their map or written down the address in the square.

Day-to-Day BMPs

Many of these best management • Avoid compacting yard and garden • Avoid allowing pet waste to be practices may seem rather simple soils because compaction impedes dumped or washed into the storm or small, but the cumulative effect water infiltration. sewer. Properly bury or flush the throughout an entire watershed can • Avoid unnecessary pesticide, waste down a toilet into the sanitary significantly contribute to improved fertilizer, or water use by using sewer system for treatment. Reduce stormwater management. plants adapted to the local area. or avoid areas of concentrated pet • Clean up hazardous material spills waste. • Avoid overuse of pesticides and properly and don’t wash waste into • Mulch grass clippings and leave fertilizers—use only the amount the storm sewer. these on the lawn for natural fertility needed and apply only when • Store oil, gasoline, antifreeze, and or use the clippings for composting. necessary. other automotive products properly. • Keep grass clippings and leaves • Apply fertilizer and pesticides only Keep these substances tightly from washing into the storm sewer. onto target areas. Don’t spread sealed and avoid leaky containers. • Drain downspouts onto grassy fertilizer onto paved surfaces that • Clean up oil or other vehicle fluid areas. Collect water from drain to the storm sewer. drippings. Do not store used vehicle downspouts for use around the • Follow recommended watering parts on areas that drain to the home. practices. Avoid excess watering storm sewer. • Do not discharge sump-pump water and don’t sprinkle water onto paved • Wash vehicles at a commercial car onto paved surfaces that drain to or other areas that drain into the wash or on a non-paved surface to the storm sewer. storm sewer. avoid drainage to the storm sewer. • Mulch and seed bare soil as soon as possible to prevent the soil from eroding into the storm sewer.

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea Discussion Questions

What is a BMP? Explain why it is important. What are some BMPs that you and your family could do at home? What could farmers do as best management practices? If there is a shopping center or “strip mall” in your neighborhood, what ways could those people practice good “stewardship” of the water?

Additional Resources http://www.floridayards.org/professional/Stormwater-bmpmanual.pdf

27 day four:

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea Those Traveling Stormwater Teams “Building” Clean Water Projects

After an interactive vocabulary review that serves to explain BMPs again, students will “design” their own BMP project for their neighborhood, showing both the way it is now and what it could look like in the future once a BMP is implemented. All their samples will be coordinated into a long visual “quilt” so that they can see the difference individual actions can make, predict the consequences of their actions, and explain their rationale for their improvement.

skills

Analysis Evaluation Comparison

29 Materials Required • Old Town, New Town “quilting” sheets of paper 50 • Students’ photos, drawings, or other pictures Teaching Time in mins. • Tape • Paste

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to: • Describe beneficial and harmful activities • Formulate testable questions and of organisms, including humans (e.g., explanations (hypotheses) deforestation, overpopulation, water and • Conduct a fair test to answer a question air pollution, global warming, restoration • Judge whether measurements and of natural environments, river bank/coastal computation of quantities are reasonable stabilization, recycling, channelization, • Use quantitative and qualitative data as reintroduction of species, depletion of support for reasonable explanations resources), and explain how these activities • Use current data as support for observed affect organisms within an ecosystem patterns and relationships, and to make • Describe possible solutions to potentially predictions to be tested harmful environmental changes within an • Evaluate the reasonableness of an ecosystem explanation (conclusion) • Describe the effect of human activities (e.g., • Communicate simple procedures and results landfills, use of fertilizers and herbicides, of investigations and explanations through farming, septic systems) on the quality of drawings (or photographs) water • Identify a question that was asked, or could • Analyze the ways humans affect the erosion be asked, or a problem that needed to be and deposition of soil and rock materials solved when given a brief scenario (fiction (e.g., clearing of land, planting vegetation, or nonfiction of individuals solving everyday paving land, construction of new buildings, problems or learning through discovery) building or removal of dams) • Use data as support for observed patterns and relationships, and to make predictions to be tested

Vocabulary Today would be a good day to review all words that are part of Best Management Practices and the other words under the Vocabulary section. Background

Best Management Practices have already been discussed with the students. There is an excellent website from the EPA that you might find very helpful: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/ stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm.

This site includes a helpul glossary. Ask students what words they’ve seen that they do not understand and do either a “call-out” vocabulary lesson or have everyone stand up and do a vocabulary “bee” where they give the definition of a word you select. If they cannot give the definition, they sit down and the next person gets the chance to answer it.

31 Process

After a discussion about BMPs and using the two sheets in their work book labeled Old Town and New Town, students will either draw a picture, take a photo and print it, or find a picture on the Internet, to show something they have seen in their neighborhood or school vicinity that demonstrates either a polluting action, potential pollution, or non-green technique. Have them make sure the brown line runs on the bottom of their picture but do not tell them yet that represents the nearest river or stream watershed. On their second sheet, with now the blue “stream” running on the top (again, do not tell them), have them draw, photograph or somehow illustrate what the corrective “fix” would be for the same condition they ha’ve demonstrated in Old Town. Line up some desks and have students put both sides together with the river being the connector. Have each of them “present” their Old Town vs. New Town solution.

Old Town / New Town

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea Discussion Questions

What is an ecosystem? What will happen if we make no changes to the things you saw that were not a best management decision or practice? Why do you think people don’t pay much attention to water and the path of stormwater? Once we have all the BMPs in New Town set up, what will the river be like? In New Town, what might be expected for our ecosystem? How could you prove you would have a better habitat for animals, fish, etc.?

33 day five:

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea Walking the Talk Getting the message to KC

Students will develop videos (YouTube) or brochures (to include in the water bill) or posters (to put up in their school or area wide) to educate the public on BMPs.

This is the culmination of the week’s activities and the lesson the students will probably be most excited about. Now is the time they must convey what they thought was the most significant in learning about water and its importance. They also must think about how to change people’s behavior though communication and persuasion.

skills

Writing Vocabulary Graphic Design Analysis Communication

35 Materials Required • Computer use 50 • Printer and Paper Teaching Time in mins. • Digital Video Camera (optional)

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to: • Identify and explain cause and effect • Identify problem solving processes and explain the effectiveness of solutions • Distinguish between fact and opinion • Evaluate the accuracy of the information that each group presents • Listen for information • Write (or create) a well-organized communication in a selected form appropriate to a specific audience (e.g., parents, friend, younger child, business people, community citizen) and purpose • Develop and apply effective speaking skills and strategies as they present their project • Develop and apply effective research process skills to gather, analyze and evaluate information

Vocabulary You may want them to review the total vocabulary list and ask if there are any words they still do not understand. Since they might be doing additional research, be prepared to help them look up any terminology not covered. Background

Students are aware of advertising of all kinds: presentation or material – without stating those TV, Internet, billboards, magazines, but they objections. You may search for the benefits your may not have thought about its basic purpose, audience will experience from your idea and use which is to persuade. You might talk a few minutes them to counter their objections. about persuasion and tell them some important techniques – discussing the difference between Elaborate on what you said earlier. You must written and verbal, but pointing out some (all?) are repeat what you said for the audience to true for both. These might include: remember it, but say it differently.

Know what your goal is –is it simply to inform or Use strong and descriptive words – make every are you actually trying to accomplish something? word mean something. Some words ring bells Always focus on the end result. Your purpose like “good,” “evil,” “freedom,” “liberty,” “right,” is to make someone think something or make “wrong,” etc. But be sparing in your use of someone do something. Everything you do should those words. have the intention of reaching that goal. Stay away from too many statistics. The more Not only must you know the “what” behind your facts and figures you use, the more you will argument, you should be clear about the “why.” bore people and the more likely it is that they Support your persuasive argument with as much will disagree with you. solid and relevant information as possible to demonstrate accurate support. If doing a presentation, be confident and compelling, leaving the “Uhs” and “Ums” and Relate to your audience (whether it be one or “likes” out. Practice making your argument many). Consider your audience and try to identify before hand, don’t fidget and be articulate. That what you know about them and then appeal to way, you can seem relaxed and confident – that. Figure out what objections your audience someone worthy of being believed. might have and how you can counter them in your

37 Procedure

After demonstrating both videos and flyers/ best way to do that. This will help them all align brochures to students, and dividing class into to a common goal. They will have to discuss teams of 4-6 students, have them answer one that because their choice of video, poster, or key question to get them started: If you wanted pamphlet will have to be one best suited to their Kansas Citians to understand the importance of intended audience. water and how to improve its quality, what would you tell them? This becomes their purpose (and Since group work often proceeds at different central idea to whatever they do), and it is used paces, this project part of the curriculum should as their guiding principle to determine what they be explained at the very beginning of the lesson want to say. They also should determine who so students can begin thinking of what they may their audience is: is it adults, kids their own age, want to do as well as be taking notes as they manufacturing executives, who? go along. You also should have an additional activity planned for groups who finish rapidly. Now they know what they want to say and who Another class period may be necessary for a they want to read about it or see/hear it. Each finished product and for them to present their group should develop their own purpose and work. Each group should convey their purpose audience and be able to tell that to you before and audience, and why they chose their method they start their work. In their groups, after about of presentation. Have the class then discuss 10 minutes, have each of them write down each of the projects, emphasizing the objectives their purpose and audience individually and above. There are some sample videos from then have them compare their answers to their YouTube for students to use (on CD). team members before they decide which is the

There are some sample videos from YouTube for students to use (on the CD):

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1H5m0S-sdQ&NR=1&feature=fvwp – Not a student presentation but some good easy tips on giving a presentation – aimed at business but not so advanced. Conviction is misspelled at the end – which could be a talking point. Also the comment about using humor – is this really to be recommended? 1:35 minutes

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c05md_BBXWU Not a student presentation, but a total presentation with a viewpoint. Ask your students why this video was made, who was to be the audience, and what they took away from it. 3:08 minutes.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUuwOkQbkhQ These students were told to make a video to instruct other kids about how to behave at Operation Breakthrough. Op- eration Breakthrough is an inner city family care center with a large after-school program. Ask students if this would be effective if they were entering the center for the first time. You might want to show them only the first few minutes, then go to the last 2 or so, which brings home another lesson that it may take several tries to get your presentation right – whether it’s a video, a poster, or a pamphlet. 6:00 minutes. Discussion Questions

Where will you get your information from for your project? How do you know it is correct? How will you check your work? Who will be the presenters to explain how you did your work? What did you learn from this part of this project? What would you do differently if you were to do it again? vocabulary

alternative pavers perspective, cul-de-sacs create check dam Alternative pavers are a huge bulb of impervious a barrier for preventing the permeable surfaces that cover, increasing the amount flow of water or of loose solid can replace asphalt and of stormwater runoff. For this materials (soil) concrete and can be used for reason, reducing the size of driveways, parking lots, and cul-de-sacs through the use condensation walkways. From a stormwater of alternative turnarounds or constructed wetlands – or perspective, this is important eliminating them altogether stormwater wetlands are because alternative pavers can can reduce the amount of structural practices similar to replace impervious surfaces, impervious cover created at wet ponds that incorporate creating less stormwater runoff. a site. Numerous alternatives wetland plants into the design. The two broad categories of create less impervious cover As stormwater runoff flows alternative pavers are paving than the traditional 40-foot through the wetland, pollutant blocks and other surfaces, cul-de-sac. These alternatives removal is achieved through including gravel, cobbles, include reducing cul-de-sacs settling and biological uptake wood, mulch, brick, and to a 30-foot radius and creating within the practice. This kind natural stone. hammerheads, loop roads, of wetland is among the most and pervious islands in the cul- effective stormwater practices in alternative turnaround de-sac center. terms of pollutant removal, and Alternative turnarounds are they also offer aesthetic value. designs for end-of-street anaerobic vehicle turnaround that replace applying to metabolism in disconnected rooftop areas cul-de-sacs and reduce the cells of the body, or to just what it says, rooftops are the amount of impervious micro-organisms, this means sometimes designed this way cover created in residential functioning without oxygen. so that drainage can occur neighborhoods. Cul-de-sacs to pervious areas beneath. It are streets with a closed aquifer is interesting to know that in circular end that allows for an underground bed or layer of general, the pitch of the roof is vehicle turnarounds. Many permeable rock, sediment, or proportional to the amount of of these cul-de-sacs can soil that yields water precipitation. Houses in areas have a radius of more than of low rainfall frequently have 40 feet. From a stormwater berm roofs of low pitch while those in a mound or wall of earth areas of high rainfall and snow, have steep roofs.

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea vocabulary

dissolve the ground, where it merges environment to cause to pass into solution: with the local groundwater. A the circumstances, objects dissolve salt in water; to dry well is a passive structure. or conditions by which one is reduce (solid matter) to Water flows through it under surrounded liquid form; melt; to cause to the influence of gravity. A dry disappear or vanish; dispel; well receives water from one or extended detention To break into component more entry pipes or channels Erosion extended detention wet parts; disintegrate - to become at its top. A dry well discharges ponds maintain a permanent reduced to components, the same water through a pool of water typically equal to fragments, or particles; to lose number of small exit openings a portion of stormwater runoff cohesion or unity; in physics distributed over a larger after a storm. They effectively & chemistry, to decompose, surface area, the side(s) and reduce downstream peak flows decay, or undergo a nuclear bottom of the dry well. Simple and remove pollutants via transformation dry wells consist of a pit filled settling of solids, plant uptake with gravel, riprap, rubble, or of nutrients, and bacterial dry swale other debris. A more advanced decomposition of organics and A swale is a ditch on the dry well defines a large interior pesticides when soil is carried contour. It does not direct storage volume by a reinforced over the surface of the earth water, but holds it and allows concrete cylinder with by water or the wearing away it to gradually infiltrate the soil perforated sides and bottom. of land by the action of natural down-slope of it. Soil and water These dry wells are usually forces. runoff are caught in the swale buried completely, so that they which becomes a fertile area. do not take up any land area. fertilizer Gradual infiltration of water and a substance (such as manure nutrients and the dead roots ecosystem or a chemical mixture) used of plants growing in the swale, a complex set of relationships to make soil more fertile – rich slowly improve soil structure among living resources, in material needed to sustain down-slope. habitats and residents of a plant growth: fertile soil; region bearing or producing crops or dry well vegetation abundantly; fruitful; an underground structure that evaporation in botany, bearing functional disposes of unwanted water, the process by which a liquid reproductive structures such most commonly stormwater changes into a gas as seeds or fruit or material runoff, by dissipating it into such as spores or pollen

41 filter strips (grassed) enough ground space to store one vast expanse of concrete strips of ground that separate forty (40) parked vehicles. that became a tremendous impermeable areas and are solar collector and covered often grassed in or planted The supermarket on the corner an area large enough to drain that has one hundred and fifty five million gallons of water in green parking thousand (150,000) square a twenty-four hour rainstorm. Rather than a straight definition, feet under roof, would require At the rate of 0.15 cfs/acre we are providing a bit of seven hundred and fifty (750) per day, five million gallons of conversation since creating a parking spaces consuming two runoff, is a lot of water to drain. green parking lot was a leading hundred twenty-five thousand reason the City of Kansas City, (225,000) square feet (1 space In recent years, people want Mo., Water Services Department for every 200 square feet) or parking areas to be cooler, (WSD) first became interested in approximately five (5) acres of more compact, partially helping students to understand land. screened from public streets, water and its importance. It and broken up with the use of is taken from: http://www. A regional shopping mall of landscape plantings. Some greenlaws.lsu.edu/Seminar_ two (2) million square feet communities require buffers Notes.htm of retail space would require between parking lots, while parking for sixty-six hundred other communities require Eighty to ninety percent of the cars taking up almost fifty that parking areas be located demand for parking is met with acres of land (1 space per 300 behind commercial buildings surface parking lots. Some square feet). That is a lot of and not in front of them. Still have estimated that surface land; those are a lot of cars. other communities are finding parking often utilizes two or it smart to organize parking by three times the amount of floor Obviously, the more intense with ‘car sorting’ strategies, space used in commercial the land use, the more cars using porous paving to reduce buildings. A ten thousand need to be stored and more surface runoff and planting square foot commercial office land that must be set aside for large canopy trees to shade, building is likely to consume car storage. In the past it was cool and filter the air in parking twelve thousand square feet of common practice to just cover areas. Additionally, pedestrians parking (1 space for every 250 the fifty acres with concrete or and pedestrian access are square feet). That would be asphalt. The parking lot was becoming more important to

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea the design of the parking lot herbicide that is designed to infiltrate than the car. a chemical substance used to stormwater though permeable destroy or inhibit the growth of soils into the groundwater green roof plants, especially weeds aquifer. a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered impervious insoluble with vegetation and a growing incapable of being penetrated; cannot be dissolved medium, planted over a normal pavement is an waterproofing membrane. It impervious surface that sheds low impact development (LID) may also include additional rainfall and associated surface a term used in the United layers such as a root barrier pollutants forcing the water to States to describe a land and drainage and irrigation run off paved surfaces directly planning and engineering systems. (The use of “green” into nearby storm drains and design approach to managing refers to the growing trend of then into streams and lakes. stormwater runoff. LID environmentally friendly and emphasizes conservation does not refer to roofs that infiltration basins and use of on-site natural are merely colored green, as an open-surface storage area features to protect water with green roof tiles or roof for water having no outlet other quality. This approach shingles.) than an emergency spillway. implements engineered small- scale hydrologic controls to groundwater infiltration trenches replicate the pre-development water that occurs below the also called a percolation hydrologic regime of surface of the Earth, where trench, this is a type of best watersheds through infiltrating, it occupies spaces in soils management practice (BMP) filtering, storing, evaporating, or geologic strata. Most that is used to manage and detaining runoff close to groundwater comes from stormwater runoff, prevent its source precipitation, which gradually flooding and downstream percolates into the Earth. erosion, and improve water native vegetation Typically, 10 % – 20% of quality in an adjacent river, the natural, indigenous, plants precipitation eventually enters stream, lake, or bay. It is a and flowers of a region aquifers. shallow excavated trench filled with gravel or crushed stone

43 Pervious Pavement nonpoint (source) pollution pollution comes through a taken that the water is not one cannot identify where pipe. Point source pollution contaminated or the water is the pollution is coming from. is pollution that alows you to adequately filtered. The pollution enters water “point out” where it is coming bodies from various areas. from. rain garden You cannot detect or point out a rain garden is a planted where it is coming from. precipitation depression that allows rainwater a deposit on the earth of hail, runoff from impervious urban pervious pavement mist, rain, sleet or snow; also areas like roofs, driveways, Pervious pavement is the amount of water deposited walkways, and compacted designed to allow percolation lawn areas the opportunity to or infiltration of stormwater rain barrels be absorbed. This reduces rain through the surface into the A rainwater tank (sometimes runoff by allowing stormwater soil below where the water is called rain barrels in North to soak into the ground (as naturally filtered and pollutants America or a water butt in the opposed to flowing into storm are removed. UK) that is used to collect and drains and surface waters, store rain water runoff, typically which causes erosion, water pesticide from rooftops via rain gutters. pollution, flooding, and a substance or mixture of Rainwater tanks are devices diminished groundwater). Rain substances intended for for collecting and maintaining gardens can cut down on the preventing, destroying, or harvested rain. Rainwater tanks amount of pollution reaching repelling insects are installed to make use of creeks and streams. rain water for later use, reduce phased construction water use for economic or recharge the development of a site environmental reasons, and to load again or building in constructed in aid self-sufficiency. Stored defined stages, typically to water may be used for watering riparian or riparian buffer interfere as little as possible gardens, agriculture, flushing the part of the watershed with the already established toilets, in washing machines, immediately adjacent to portions of the project washing cars, and also for the stream channel. Plant point source pollution drinking, especially when other communities along the river one can identify the point water supplies are unavailable, margins are called riparian where pollution is entering into expensive, or of poor quality, vegetation, characterized by the water. Most point source and that adequate care is hydrophilic plants. Riparian

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea zones are significant in sediment solvent ecology, environmental soil and other materials like liquid, solid, or gas that management, and civil grass clippings that ends up dissolves another solid, liquid, engineering because of their in streams, rivers, and other or gaseous solute, resulting in role in soil conservation, water bodies. Sediment is soil a solution. their biodiversity, and the that is no longer in the right influence they have on aquatic place. Sediment becomes a soluble ecosystems. Riparian zones problem in the streams, rivers, in chemistry, a solution is occur in many forms including and oceans because it is not a homogeneous mixture grassland, woodland, wetland supposed to be there. It cannot composed of two or more or even non-vegetative. In be used to grow food or forests substances. In such a mixture, some regions the terms because it is floating around a solute is dissolved in another riparian woodland, riparian in the water and sinking to substance, known as a solvent. forest, riparian buffer zone, the bottom. A lot of sediment or riparian strip are used to enters water bodies after septic system characterize a riparian zone. The heavy rainstorms, especially a sewage-disposal tank in word “riparian” is derived from when loose soil is left exposed which a continuous flow of Latin ripa, meaning river bank. to the rain. waste material is decomposed by anaerobic bacteria. runoff sand and organic filters stormwater or surface runoff usually two-chambered A septic tank is the rain and melting snow stormwater treatment The key component of the that flows off streets, rooftops, practices; the first chamber is septic system, is a small lawns, parking lots, open for settling, and the second scale sewage treatment fields, and any other exposed is a filter bed filled with sand system common in areas areas. The runoff carries with or another filtering media. As with no connection to main it whatever can be dislodged stormwater flows into the first sewage pipes provided by from the various sites, such as chamber, large particles settle local governments or private salt, soil, leaves, pesticides, out, and the finer particles and corporations fertilizers, oil, gasoline, and other pollutants are removed any other materials present on as stormwater flows through the surface. filtering media.

45 Stormwater Planter stormwater lost through discharge to later use on the site. The key to stormwater discharges are evaporation and sub-surface successful topsoil stockpiling generated by runoff from land seepage into the groundwater. is stabilizing the stockpiles and impervious areas such as Although there are other immediately. The two more paved streets, parking lots and sources of groundwater, common methods are seeding building rooftops during rainfall such as connate water and or placing plastic sheeting on and snow events that often magmatic water, precipitation the stockpile to protect it from contain pollutants in quantities is the major one and rainfall. If a stockpile will be that could adversely affect groundwater originated in this uncovered for the winter, other water quality way is called meteoric water. erosion control measures such as mulching may be needed. stormwater planter swale, dry swale a small, contained vegetated a low tract of land, especially vegetated channel / swale area that collects and treats when moist or marshy; a traditionally, swale designs stormwater using bioretention. long, narrow, usually shallow were simple drainage and Bioretention systems collect trough between ridges on a grassed channels that primarily and filter stormwater through beach, running parallel to the served to transport stormwater layers of mulch, soil and plant coastline; a shallow troughlike runoff away from roadways root systems where pollutants depression that carries water and rights-of-way and provided such as bacteria, nitrogen, mainly during rainstorms or inconsistent water quality phosphorus, heavy metals, snow melts. It may be dry the treatment. Today, designers oil and grease are retained, rest of the time. emphasizing water quality degraded and absorbed. management are shifting from topsoil stockpiling the drainage/grassed channel surface water topsoil is the top layer of native design concepts to carefully water collecting on the soil; soil that is usually better engineered dry/wet vegetated ground or in a stream, river, for plant growth than what is swale designs. Generally lake, wetland, or ocean; it is beneath it. The term is often there are dry swales, which related to water collecting as also used to describe good provide water quality benefits groundwater or atmospheric soil sold at nurseries and by facilitating stormwater water. Surface water is garden supply stores. When it infiltration, and wet swales, naturally replenished by is stockpiled, this topsoil is put which use residence time precipitation and naturally into piles and conserved for and natural growth to treat

stormwater ~ from kc to the sea 10 Yr. Design Storn Capacity watershed Drainage an area of land that drains Channel Non-Erosive @ 2 Yr downslope to the lowest point. The water moves through a network of drainage 10 Yr. Design Storn Capacity pathways, both underground Grass Non-Erosive @ 2 Yr and on the surface. Generally, Channel these pathways converge into streams and rivers, 10 Yr. Design Storn Capacity which become progressively Dry Non-Erosive @ 2 Yr larger as the water moves Swale on downstream, eventually reaching an estuary and the ocean. Other terms used interchangeably with 10 Yr. Design Storn Capacity watershed include drainage Wet Non-Erosive @ 2 Yr basin or catchment basin. Swale

Water Table wetland

Swales an area where the water level stormwater prior to discharge water pollution remains near or above the to a downstream surface the contamination of a water ground surface for most of the water body. source usually by humans year. Marshes and swamps are examples of wetlands. volume wet pond Wetlands are usually found in the volume of any solid, liquid, A stormwater retention a landscape’s low spots where gas, plasma, or vacuum is how impoundment created by either water naturally pools and much three-dimensional space constructing an embankment the water table is high. Most it occupies, often quantified or excavating a pit that wetlands also contain soils numerically. One-dimensional retains a permanent pool of that drain slowly, which further figures (such as lines) and water used for water quality retains the water. two-dimensional shapes (such improvement. as squares) are assigned zero volume in the three- dimensional space. Volume is commonly presented in units such as cubic meters, cubic centimeters, liters, or milliliters water cycle the continuous process in which water travels in a sequence from the air through condensation to the earth as precipitation and back to the atmosphere by evaporation wetland

47 Author Project Explore, Inc.

Book Design & Illustrations BNIM

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